Oct. 3 (Bloomberg) -- The Houston Ship Channel is closed to
all inbound and outbound traffic as the U.S. Coast Guard
responds to a downed power line that may keep the waterway shut
for days.

The Coast Guard was notified at about 6 a.m. local time
today that a barge had hit a tower that supports power lines,
according to a statement on its website. A safety zone has been
set up from mile marker 105 to mile marker 124, and the Coast
Guard said power to the line, which is owned by CenterPoint
Energy Inc., has been secured and doesn’t pose a public danger.

The affected portion of the channel is expected to be
closed until at least the evening of Oct. 5, said Coast Guard
Chief Warrant Officer Lionel Bryant. As of this afternoon, eight
inbound ships and five outbound ships were on hold because of
the closure, said Richard Brahm, a petty officer with the Coast
Guard.

A tanker carrying crude for Exxon Mobil Corp.’s Baytown,
Texas, facility was allowed through, said Neely Nelson, a
company spokeswoman. Nelson said there’s no impact to production
at the Baytown refinery from the ship channel incident at this
point. Brahm said the tanker delivering to Exxon was going to
the edge of the safety zone, which is why that shipment was
allowed.

The ship Safety Quest was pushing three barges carrying
scrap metal when it hit a highline electrical tower in the
Baytown area, the Coast Guard said in its statement. The tower
was then being held up by a barge.

The Coast Guard said the Safety Quest’s crew was evacuated
to another vessel. The cause of the event is under
investigation, the Coast Guard said, and drug and alcohol tests
will be given.